Tips on Producing a Creative Talking Head Video for Online Social Media Use

Video is the leading format of media online and on social media platforms like Facebook (Meta), Instagram, Tik Tok and LinkedIn, but producing video for online social media use can take some getting used to. If you’re thinking about producing a Creative Talking Head Video for Online Social Media user to drive audience engagement for your business, there are some key points that you most definitely need to pay attention to in the process.

With social media video, you’ve got mere seconds to grab the attention of your audience and to reflect your brand’s image so that the viewer will make the connection between the video and the brand behind it. Unlike traditional video advertising or other forms of digital video such as would be produced for your website, landing pages, or email campaigns, with social media you’ve got to be very creative. A talking head video for online social media use, therefore, must adhere to some best practices.

At Beverly Boy Productions we work with clients that are interested in producing content that engages their audience, boosts reach, and increases brand conversions on social media. To help you maximize your success online, we’ve put together some tips on producing a creative talking head video for online. Social media isn’t the most difficult to master, as long as you’re following these tips and best practices along the way.

1. Introduce Your Brand & Your Hook in 4 Seconds or Less

You might be accustomed to having plenty of time for introductions, but when you’re producing video for social media, what you are accustomed to or used to goes out the window for what actually works! Introducing your brand, and your hook, in the first 4 seconds or less, is absolutely essential to the success of your talking head video.

In fact, if you don’t introduce your hook right away, you’ll probably have a significant number of users just keep scrolling by and, if you don’t introduce your brand in the first 4 seconds, there’s a significant chance that your audience won’t recall who it is behind the video seconds after they see.

2. Choose a Camera Setup that Maximizes Viewer Interest

Ideally, you’re going to produce a Creative Talking Head Video for Online Social Media that utilizes at least 2 cameras if not 3. Why? Because you need to capture your subject from more than just a single viewpoint or else you’re going to lose the interest of your audience right away.

Instead, consider setting your cameras up so that you have one positioned such that your subject is speaking directly into it or so that it is just to the side of your subject and captures the speaker from the shoulders up. The second camera should be positioned so that it captures more of a close up, and ideally from another angle. If you can have a 3^rd camera, consider operating it dynamically so that you can adjust depth, focus, and view of your subject as he or she speaks for maximum engagement. Your audience will be so happy that you took the time to capture your subject in such an engaging and interesting way!

3. Cut Anything That is Not 100% Necessary in Editing

That’s right, we said it! If you don’t absolutely need it, get rid of it! Nobody is going to stick around on social media for 15 minutes to watch a talking head video that could have delivered the same message in 1.5 minutes! Don’t do it!

Instead, make sure that you’re cutting anything and everything that doesn’t need to be in the video. Editing your video so that it is short, focused, and fun to watch will be a breath of fresh air for your audience and it will show in your view rates.

4. Use B-Roll to Your Advantage

The most Creative Talking Head Video for Online Social Media is not one that features only a talking head, it’s one that incorporates a mix of b-roll into the video along with the talking head for maximum audience engagement.

As you’re planning your video, you should be thinking about how you can tell your story visually through b-roll. This is especially important for social media because many viewers are going to engage with your video silently, with audio off. If you’re not visually telling your story, they could be missing the message.

5. Edit & then Spice Your Video Up

There’s editing your talking head video, and then there’s editing it to spice it up! There are many ways that you can spice your video up so that you engage your target audience and they feel excited to keep watching to the end. Producing a Creative Talking Head Video for Online Social Media platforms like Facebook or Tik Tok is all about making content interesting and fun to watch.

Consider the following to breathe life into your video content;

Choose more than one camera to share the message.

Incorporate b-roll footage to tell the story visually.

Use camera movement and dynamic techniques to further engage your audience.

Incorporate animated graphics, motion graphics and similar visuals to add value.

Don’t be afraid to use more visuals than talking-heads.

Include text-overlays and other forms of on-screen text to get important points across.

At Beverly Boy Productions we use all of these important tips as well as many other more advanced production techniques in the creation of all talking head videos that we produce for social media. To learn more about producing a Creative Talking Head Video for Online Social Media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, give us a call!